Grading machine



s.j`w. PARKER.

GRADING MACHINE. .A I APPLICATION FILED JAN.'6, ISIZZ. 11,431,030.- Patented 0@t.3,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1`.

\ IllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII III vIN V EN TOR.- 5. l/l/. PA eifel? l y Ww I N N Y m A TTORNEYS.

s. w. PARKER.' GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-6, 1922.

Patented 0t.3,1922..

2 SHEETS-SHE 2.

INVENToR. SIZ/04mm?? BY @Meg/aww ATTORNEYS.

Patented @et E,

Malattie stares Parenti orties,

SYLVESTER Vf. PARKER, OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

GRADING MACHINE.

.Application lecl January, 14922. Serial No. 527,427.

asparagus, although it is obvious that other food commodities, such as olives, walnuts, or vegetables of a like nature as asparagus, may be graded.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a machine which will be capable of operating continuously, and will readily con`- vey a commodity over a grading frame and will then by the disposition of a novel grading construction cause the different sizes of the commodity to pass beneath the grading frame into any conventionally formed rei ceiving means.

A further object of this invention is to providemeans cooperating with the grading frame whereb the O'radino frame will be vibrated and diagonally moved so as to cause the commodity, resting in suitably constructed retainers or buckets, to be placed in a position where the commodity can be readily graded.

A further object 3of this invention is to provide means for supporting the grading frame and the tapered strips of the same, whereby the strips of the grading structure will be positively supported during the proc-` ess of grading the commodity, without danger of the strips being displaced from the supporting means.

ik further object of this invention is to produce a machine of the character de? scribed which will be simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and the operation of which will be simple inorder that unskilled labor may be employed, and a machine which will be compact in the arrange-- ment of its parts, strong and durable, and capable of handling large quantities of comf inodities with the greatest of grading accuracy and with a minimum operating cost.

@ther objects and advantages willbeapparent during the course of the following description.

1n the accompanying drawings forming a.

part of'this specification, andl in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of theimachine iconstructed in accordancewith-my invenion,

Fig. 2 a top plan view of the same,

F ig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and looking in the directioirof the arrows, i

Fig. l is a fragmentary detail of one of the supporting means for vthe Vgrading strips,

Fig 5 `is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the grading apparatus and the mechanism for driving the same, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the buckets or boxes in which are retained the commodity to be graded.

In the laccompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the n umeral 10 designates a plurality of upriglits adapted to and 12, which uprights have likewise connected thereto lower channel irons 13 disposed lin parallelism to the ground onwhich the upright-S rest, Supported on the'channel irons 11 and 12 and connected thereto is a grading kframe designated 'as a whole vby the numeral lll, which frame includes a table portion 15, having extending therefrom and integrally formed therewith enlarged side strips 1.6 and 17. lnterposed between the side strips are a plurality of tapered strips 18 likewise integrally formed with the table portion. It will be manifest by this construction that the tapered strips present graduated Aoutlets 19 through which the conimodity to be graded passes and isthen received in any conventional receiving means prior to tliepacking of the commodity.

Suite-bly journaled in bearings provided at the respective front and rear ends of the channel irons, are upper shafts 2O and 21.

rlhe shaft 2O has mounted thereon sprockets chains which are trained over the sprockets and have connected thereto spaced buckets or boxes 38 of substantially rectangular conf figuration, each of the boxes being provided with a plurality of compartments 34 in which are received the asparagus to be graded, which commodity is placed in the compartments in a substantially upright or vertical position. The bucketsiwith the asparagus therein are carried by chains as they pass over the'sprockets, the rotary motion being initiated through any suitable source of power attached to a drive pulley 35 mounted on the shaft 20.

As shown to advantage in Figures 3 and 4, l have bolted to the underside of the channel irons 11 and 12 supporting means for the tapered strips 18, the said supporting means comprising spaced apertured cross rods 36 having formed thereon and disposed over the threaded aperture thereof, verti-.

cally positioned tubes or pipes 37 in which are received stems 38 provided with scarfed heads 39 and in turn detachabiy fastened to the rods 36 by bolts 40.

Likewise connected to the underside of the enlargedside strips 16 and 17, are the upper extremities of Z brackets 41, which have their lower extremities engaging flexible arms 43 which extend parallel to the channel irons 11 and 12 and together with the eccentrics 44 disposed on a counter shaft 45, impart a reciprocating` motion to the grading frame during the operation of the machine. The means for transmitting motion to the shaft 45 includes a spur gear .46, a small endless chain 47 and the large sprocket 26. This mechanism also serves to increase the speed of the counter shaft 45.

ln order to likewise impart a diagonal movement to the frame, small Z shaped clips are provided. These clips have their upper extremities secured to the underside of the strips 16 and 17 while their lower slotted extreinitie's 48 rest on the base of the channel irons 11 and 12 with pins 49 penetrating the slots formed in the lower extremities of the Z shaped clips. This construction assures a reciprocating and diagonal movement of the grading frame and tends to loosen the asparagus in the box'so that the different grades thereof will be in a position to readily pass through the outlets 19, while the supporting means for the strips, as just described, pro-r vides for' the positive retention of the tapered strips on the supporting means.

The operation of the machine is as follows The machine being started the operator assumes a position adjacent the rear thereof and places a quantity of asparagus, vertically positioned, in the compartments of each of the boxes or conveyors as they pass by. The boxes then travel over the table portion of the grading frame, and as they travel longitudinally of the tapered strips certain small grades will pass through the various graduated openings, while the larger grades will be retained in the box until they reach graduated openings which will accommodate their size and then the larger sized will pass through the openings. Thus there is provided a grading frame equipped with means whereby various sizes of the asparagus will pass through the openings proportionately to the size of the openings. Any suitable receiving means may be utilized for receiving the graded asparagus after it has passed through the grading frame.

My machine is very simple and economical in construction, and also efficient in use, and it is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes inthe shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub-` joined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. In a grading machine, the combination with a stationary base, of a grading frame positioned on said base and comprising a table portion and a plurality of strips extending from the table portion and tapering towards the rear of the machine, means connected to said frame for transversely actuating the same, and means connected to said frame for distributing the commodity over the surface thereof, said means comprising a plurality of boxes provided with compartments therein, endless chains carried by said base for supporting said boxes and impart ing movement thereto, and means for actuating said endless chains.

2. In a grading machine, the combination with a plurality of uprights, of channel irons positioned on said uprights, a grading frame resting in said channel irons, said frame comprising a table portion and a plurality of strips formed integral with the table portion and tapering toward the rear of the machine, means for holding and distributing a commodity over said grading frame, said means comprising a plurality of bottomless boxes having compartments therein of the same area, shafts supported on said channel irons and provided with sprockets thereon, endless chains trained over said sprockets and adapted to support the said boxes, and means for actuating said chains.

3. In a grading machine, the combination with a plurality of uprights, of channel irons positioned on said uprights, a gradinov frame resting in said channel irons, sai frame comprising a table portion and a plurality of strips tapering from the table portion towards the rear of the machine,

support the saidhoxes, means for actuating said chains, and means connected to said frame or transmitting a reciprocating and l0 'transverse movement thereto.

In testimony whereof 21H12: my signature.

SYL/i-JSTER W. PARKER. 

